Potential drunk drivers now have an app for that

January 9, 2012 by Deborah Braconnier weblog

Potential drunk drivers now have an app for that

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(PhysOrg.com) -- You have spent the night out on the town and had a few drinks with friends. At the end of the evening, you figure you have only had a few drinks. You should be fine to drive right? While this is something that is heard in many bars throughout the country, there is now a new app designed to help you determine if you are indeed sober enough to be driving.

The new iPhone app, known as BreathalEyes, uses the iPhone camera to record and measure a person’s Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN).

This HGN is the involuntary eye movement that can occur when a person is impaired by alcohol and is one of the many different field sobriety tests that are conducted by police officers.

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By having a person look into the iPhone camera, the app is able to measure this movement in a 10 second test and then lets drivers know if they are under the influence.

While this app is legally marketed for entertainments purposes only, it has been tested alongside a standard breathalyzer. The results show that the new app has an effective range of 0.02 - 0.18 percent and a (+/-) 0.02 percent accuracy of blood alcohol content, or BAC, levels.

The disadvantage of this app is you cannot administer it to yourself. You will have to have a friend with a steady hand hold the camera. The test must also be conducted in good lighting so that leaves most bars or clubs out.

Currently this app is only available for the 4 or later but the company has plans to have an Android available within the year for the low cost of only $0.99.

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© 2011 PhysOrg.com

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Xbw
Jan 09, 2012

Rank: 2.3 / 5 (8)
Instead of making an app that drunk drivers won't use, make one that knocks them out if they attempt to start their car while under the influence. They get a nice nap, and nobody dies. Win win.
Parsec
Jan 09, 2012

Rank: 2.3 / 5 (3)
Much better is to avoid the entire mess and have a friend who doesn't drink accompany you as a designated driver.

If you have anything to drink, or have imbibed in any other drug, you don't belong behind the wheel until you have had sleep or at least a several hour rest period to work it out of your system.

This app will probably get someone killed, because someone will take an OK reading that is marginal or wrong because it was badly administered, and decide to drive home while stoned.

As someone who has lost friends and family to drunks, as well as someone who has been guilty of drinking and driving myself, this article makes me want to weep.
Xbw
Jan 09, 2012

Rank: 2 / 5 (5)

This app will probably get someone killed, because someone will take an OK reading that is marginal or wrong because it was badly administered, and decide to drive home while stoned.


I think you mean "while drunk".
Silverhill
Jan 09, 2012

Rank: 3.4 / 5 (5)
from Dictionary.com:
stoned :
(adjective)
1. drunk.
2. intoxicated or dazed from drugs; high
mattytheory
Jan 09, 2012

Rank: 2.3 / 5 (3)
The reason "drunk" is better here, silverhill, is because it makes more sense contextually in a discussion regarding an app that is designed to test one's level of intoxication, specifically related to the consumption of alcohol (for which "drunk" is an exclusive descriptor), than the word "stoned" which can, as you so adeptly copy and pasted, imply other substances.

So, I would not argue you were wrong for using "stoned". Rather, I would argue your justification is suspect.
_nigmatic10
Jan 10, 2012

Rank: not rated yet
Imagine something like this with an App that controls your cars ignition.
Judgeking
Jan 10, 2012

Rank: not rated yet
How about an app that just drives your car?
Silverhill
Jan 10, 2012

Rank: not rated yet
mattytheory:
Don't worry too much about it; I was just noting to Xbw that s/he was being needlessly exclusive. :-)
Rank 5 /5 (3 votes)
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